A bill seeking to have judges weigh a defendant’s race and potentially exempt him or her from some sentencing terms to “rectify racial bias” is a “straightforward measure” to correct past wrongs, according to one Riverside County lawmaker, while another characterizes it as an affront to “blind” justice that threatens equal due process of law.
Continue Reading
A 27-year-old woman was arrested early today on suspicion of almost hitting a group of pedestrians before colliding into a “Don’t Drink and Drive” signboard during a DUI checkpoint, but was later released on bond. The woman, a Texas resident, was arrested shortly after midnight Friday at the intersection of East Tahquitz Canyon Way and
Continue Reading
Authorities today identified a man who was killed in a hit-and-run collision in Palm Desert and found dead on a roadway. He was identified by the Riverside County coroner’s office as 48-year-old Francisco Rojas of Palm Desert. Deputies from the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station responded at 10:16 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian
Continue Reading A hit-and-run incident claimed the life of a pedestrian on Wednesday night, prompting a police investigation. The victim, an unidentified man, was struck and killed by a car that fled the scene The incident took place around 10:15 p.m. at the intersection of Country Club Drive and Barrington Drive, near the entrance to the Whitehawk
Continue Reading
Two men suspected of having several illegally possessed firearms as well as multiple gamecocks and items related to cockfighting were released from jail today on $10,000 bail bonds. The suspects, a 30-year-old from Coachella and a 27-year-old Indio resident, were arrested Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of being a gang member with a firearm, animal cruelty
Continue Reading
A Cathedral City man killed another man in 2017 out of jealousy over a woman, a prosecutor told jurors today as the defendant’s attorney insisted his client was never identified as the shooter. Ronald Dean Ricks, 37, is charged with one felony count of murder along with a special-circumstance allegation of discharging a firearm from
Continue Reading
Rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for shooting hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet in the Hollywood Hills just over three years ago. Judge David Herriford of Los Angeles Superior Court handed down the sentence after a hearing that stretched over two days and saw prosecutors ask for
Continue Reading
A Desert Hot Springs man was sentenced to a work release program and approximately two years of formal probation today for possessing sexual images of a minor. Pedro Alfredo Elizalde pleaded guilty July 3 to one felony count of possessing matter depicting a minor in a sexual act, according to court records. He additionally admitted
Continue Reading
Two people are in custody following a deadly shooting inside the Applebee’s in Cathedral City Sunday night. The shooting was reported at around 11:30 p.m. at the Applebee’s near Date Palm Drive and Ramon Road. Police said the incident started as a fight involving numerous people inside the business. During the altercation, one person pulled
Continue Reading
Two men are in custody in connection with the murder of a Cabazon man missing since August 2021. Richard Seevers, 59, of Banning and Frank Mansfield, 48, of Cabazon were arrested for their role in the murder of Dillon Entler, 31. Entler was reported missing on Aug. 26, 2021. Enter’s family told News Channel
Continue Reading
A San Bernardino man was sentenced today to 40 years to life in state prison for fatally shooting a man outside a Cathedral City home in 2019. Christian Isaiah Jimenez, 24, was convicted June 13 of one felony count of murder in the Aug. 19, 2019, shooting of 21-year-old Alberto Rafael Sosa Alvarez. A sentence-enhancing
Continue Reading A San Bernardino man was convicted today of fatally shooting a man outside a Cathedral City home in 2019. Christian Isaiah Jimenez, 24, was convicted of one felony count of murder in the Aug. 19, 2019, shooting of 21-year-old Alberto Rafael Sosa Alvarez. A sentence-enhancing allegation of discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury
Continue Reading A 32-year-old man who dragged his girlfriend out of a Banning motel and took her away with him to another location pleaded guilty today to kidnapping and other charges and was immediately sentenced to five years in state prison. Hector Puga Sanchez of Banning admitted the abduction count, as well as a charge of domestic
Continue Reading
A 22-year-old man suspected in a late-night shooting that injured two people in Palm Springs pleaded not guilty today to attempted murder and assault with a gun. Joel Ramirez Benitez of Palm Springs was additionally charged with one felony count of assault with a gun, according to court records. He also faces a sentence-enhancing allegation
Continue Reading
A shocking assault caught on camera outside a downtown Palm Springs bar has left the victim, Skyy Perez, shaken and bruised. Perez, who is a transgender woman, says the attack was targeted due to her identity. The incident occurred late Saturday night behind The Village, and police are now investigating it as a possible hate
Continue Reading
A Navy sailor from Monterey Park pleaded not guilty today to federal charges of allegedly receiving bribes in exchange for sending sensitive military information — including plans for a large-scale U.S. military exercise in the Indo-Pacific Region and diagrams and blueprints for a radar system —Â Â to a Chinese intelligence officer. Â Â Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao,
Continue Reading A 31-year-old man was behind bars today for his alleged involvement in a robbery with two women that started in Rancho Mirage, where a person was lured into a vehicle and driven away before being robbed. The Palm Springs resident was arrested Wednesday in Cathedral City on suspicion of violating his parole, robbery and conspiracy,
Continue Reading
A felon accused of beating a Cabazon man with a chunk of wood and stabbing him multiple times was charged today with assault with a deadly weapon and other offenses. Sergio Martinez Gutierrez, 44, was arrested Tuesday following a five-day Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.  Along with the assault count, Gutierrez is charged with a
Continue Reading
A man has been airlifted to the hospital after being shot in Mecca Wednesday night. The shooting was reported at around 7:39 p.m. on the 91000 block of 66th Avenue. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived to the scene and found a man shot at least once at the location. The suspect
Continue Reading
A fentanyl-related homicide trial is now underway in Riverside County. This is the first case of its kind to go to trial here where the defendant has been charged with murder in a fentanyl poisoning death. We have provided extensive coverage on the fentanyl crisis here at home — and around the state In this case, Vicente Romero, 34,
Continue Reading